Danny Healy-Rae Backs Moor Street Preservation, Honors Local Fighters
Danny Healy-Rae spoke in support of a bill to preserve Moor Street and to honour the men and women who fought for freedom there. He recalled a series of local Kerry engagements and pledged his support for the measure to keep Moor Street as it is.
Bill support
Danny Healy-Rae told the Dáil he will be supporting the bill and said it is important that Moor Street stays the same to remember those who fought there. He framed the legislation as a way to honour the centenary of actions by men and women who secured freedom.
Local battles recounted
He recounted specific Kerry actions, naming Ty Caffey at the Countess Bridge, the incident at Belisidi where Stephen Fuller was the sole survivor of a bomb, and fighting at Headford where the local flying column engaged English forces. He described the encounters as massive victories that weakened the English presence.
Named individuals and committee members
The deputy listed a number of local figures he remembered, including John O'Connor, Michael Dahti, Tom Scott Dean, Captain Flynn, Pat Shea and Tommy Mack. He also thanked the local commemoration committee, naming Derry Healy, Jimmy Kelly, Seamus Moinen, Michael Scanner, Tina Healy, Tim Hargan and Liz Belanen among others.
Reflections on sacrifice and freedom
Danny Healy-Rae emphasised appreciation for the sacrifices, describing the torture and torment some experienced to secure freedom. He urged colleagues to recognise the significance of the events and to preserve Moor Street as a site of memory for future generations.
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Thank you very much Chairman, I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk on this very important bill and I want to thank Deputy Snodig and Sinn Fein for giving us the opportunity and certainly I do too recognise and appreciate what men and women in Moor Street did over a hundred years ago to secure our freedom and we're all joined here, whatever political parties are known that we are affiliated in appreciating those people who fought and gave their lives for our freedom. However, there are places in Kerry where people fought, men and women coming among and the men like Ty Caffey at the Countess Bridge and his gallant group in Killarney and the men at Belisidi where Stephen Fuller was the only one to survive when the bomb they were all tied together and they were all tied together and they were all tied together and they were all tied together and a bomb put into the middle of them by the English and they were blown sky high and Stephen Fuller survived and then we had Headford where local, the flying column took on the English at Headford and but for the train coming sooner than it should have from the Ferenkin mayor they would have done more and they would have done more or sorted out more of the English soldiers that day. However, they did kill three of them or eight of them but two, Alman and Bailey lost their lives as they were shot as well. People like men like John O'Connor who became a TD, Michael Dahti from Disney Grave, Tom Scott Dean from Kimair, Captain Flynn from Aran, Pat Shea and Tommy Mack from Bally Mack. I want to thank the local commemoration committee, Derry Healy, Jimmy Kelly, Seamus Moinen, Michael Scanner, Tina Healy from Rockfield, her grandfather Dan Healy from Rockfield, he was in that fight that day on the 21st of March, Tim Hargan and Liz Belanen, a local girl. I knew Dan Pat Shea and I knew Dan Patsy or Sullivan from Kierkegaard who was there. He lived very old and I was glad to have known him while he was alive and appreciate very much what he and his companions done. There were 39 of them. There were 39 of them there on that day and they had a massive victory and it put the English in their place and put them thinking and they were never the same or as strong after losing that battle at Hedford. Again, I really appreciate our freedom that they gained for us in that massive fight and every one of us here have to appreciate those people and understand what they went through and the torture and the torment and the way some of them were tortured and what they went through to secure our freedom. And again, I will be supporting this bill. It's very important that Moor Street stays the same as it is and to remember the men and women who fought there.
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